INDIANAPOLIS—What we learned from Ohio State’s runaway 88-68 victory Friday night over Purdue in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament:

DeShaun Thomas is Ohio State’s MIOP

That stands for: Most important offensive player.

No doubt All-American center Jared Sullinger still is at the core of the Buckeyes’ attack, but opponents have been successful surrounding him with multiple defenders and attacking him physically.

Thomas is a moving target, capable of scoring from just about any area on the floor. In the first half against Purdue, he made deep jumpers (2-of-4 from 3-point range), pull-ups and runners in the lane. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

In the NCAA Tournament, Thomas will be a challenge for defenders who have not seen him frequently. Even in the Big Ten, where he has played 19 games, he is a beast to defend.

“Buckeye Fieldhouse” has a ring to it

This lovely arena in downtown Indianapolis had been known as Conseco Fieldhouse since it opened in 1999, but the company that bought the naming rights then changed its own name to CNO Financial last year — with seven years still remaining on its naming rights deal.

Bankers Life is one of CNO’s subsidiaries, and the company felt it was the best choice to benefit from the exposure a marketing deal like this generates.

But it really has been Ohio State that’s owned this place for a while.

Since '09, OSU is 9-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, held each year here in Indy. The Buckeyes have a semifinal date Saturday afternoon against Michigan, which could push their win total over the past four tournaments into double figures.

D.J. Byrd turned around Purdue

One can say it was the decision by Boilermakers coaches to de-emphasize their flagging big men and introduce a drive-and-kick scheme, but it really wouldn’t work if Byrd had not emerged as a big-time shooter.

Byrd still averages only 8.9 points per game—even after accumulating 10 double-figure scoring games in his final 11 Big Ten contests—including 20 in the game against the Buckeyes.

That should tell you how much he has been changed by the new approach—and how much his success in this offense has meant to Purdue’s 6-3 finish.

Woody’s influence is revived

You know Woody Hayes loved the running game when he was the Ohio State football coach. The Buckeyes spent almost the entire first half against Purdue trying to run the ball.

OK, it’s a little bit different.

In basketball, the running game is what electrifies on offense and the Buckeyes were looking to push into the transition game as often as possible. The Purdue coaches clearly warned their defenders to get back defensively and slowed that part of OSU’s attack as the game advanced, but that didn’t dissuade the Buckeyes from at least giving it a go.

That is important—no, essential—for a team whose halfcourt offense deadened as the season advanced into February. Ohio State has offensive threats and obviously can play in the halfcourt, but teams with weapons are better off trying to squeeze every easy basket they can from the break and early offense.

It’s the biggest difference between Michigan State’s success in the NCAA Tournament and the struggles of other Big Ten partners to do as well.